Kellenberger: Let's embrace the Sanderson Farms Championship for what it is

PGA Tour professional Jonathan Randolph sits down with Tyler Cleveland over some charbroiled oysters to talk about golf, Ole Miss and growing up in Jackson, Mississippi.
Annie Costabile and Hugh Kellenberger

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Patton Kizzire hits an iron from the 5th fairway during the Allen Exploration Pro-Am on Wednesday, October 25, 2017, at the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson in Jackson, Miss.(Photo: Chris Todd, For The Clarion-Ledger)Buy Photo

Here is what we’re not talking about this week at the Sanderson Farms Championship:

The long-term health of Jackson’s PGA Tour stop, including whether or not it’ll continue to exist and who’ll be the title sponsor.

Whether or not it should be in the summer or the fall, and exactly what bigger-name event would it be best to be matched up against.

Where we’re going to play it.

Any other problem we’ve created for the Sanderson Farms Championship.

The Sanderson Farms Championship is stable. It’s well-supported, thanks to Sanderson Farms. The Country Club of Jackson is a great course that is again getting favorable reviews from the PGA Tour pros in town. And the field is a fairly interesting mix of well-known veterans like Davis Love III and Luke Donald, returning champions like Cody Gribble and Peter Malnati, and up-and-comers like Smylie Kaufman, Sam Burns and most of the rest of the PGA Tour’s rookie class.

So, yeah, sure it would be great to move to a point in the calendar where the Sanderson Farms Championship was not opposite a major or a WGC event in China, like it is now. Maybe that would make the field a little bit better, and maybe that would lead to champions that you didn’t have to be a Golf Channel addict to recognize before Sunday afternoon.

But it’s not the case, and we probably — actually, definitely — spend too much time focusing on how to make things better and how to fix things that don’t need fixing. Which is the Sanderson Farms Championship in 2017.

It’s a good event, and it gets incrementally better every year. It’s an absolute bargain for spectators — $25 for a day, $50 for the week and kids and military get in free. The weather is set to be spectacular for a Mississippi fall. I’m just saying — if you’re anything close to a golf fan, and you’re not coming this week, it’s on you. Because the people here have done everything they can to get you to come.

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Members of two groups meet over the ropes during the Allen Exploration Pro-Am on Wednesday, October 25, 2017, at the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson in Jackson, Miss.(Photo: Chris Todd, For The Clarion-Ledger)

And you know the players are responding because we do see the field evolving to be about more than just journeymen chasing points during the front half of the wrap-around season.

This is what Gribble’s month of October has been: Napa, California, for the Safeway Open, Malaysia for the CIMB Classic, and Korea for The CJ Cup. And now, after flying back from Asia and arriving Tuesday afternoon, Jackson for the Sanderson Farms Championship.

"The people here are the best," Gribble said. "It feels like a home event to me at this point. The food is great, and there are some things you just have to do. You gotta go by Tico's, where the drinks are pretty strong. Char's another great place. So the food and the people make it feel like home."

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Davis Love III chats with his playing partners on the 6th tee during the Allen Exploration Pro-Am on Wednesday, October 25, 2017, at the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson in Jackson, Miss. Chris Todd, For The Clarion-Ledger

Defending champion Cody Gribble speaks to the media after his round in the Allen Exploration Pro-Am on Wednesday, October 25, 2017, at the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson in Jackson, Miss. Chris Todd, For The Clarion-Ledger

Brendon de Jonge hold the flag on the 10th green for his playing partners in the during the Allen Exploration Pro-Am on Wednesday, October 25, 2017, at the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson in Jackson, Miss. Chris Todd, For The Clarion-Ledger

Wesley Walls chips onto the 5th green during the Allen Exploration Pro-Am on Wednesday, October 25, 2017, at the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson in Jackson, Miss. Chris Todd, For The Clarion-Ledger

Davis Love III tees off on the 6th hole during the Allen Exploration Pro-Am on Wednesday, October 25, 2017, at the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson in Jackson, Miss. Chris Todd, For The Clarion-Ledger

Ole Miss Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter chips onto the 5th green during the Allen Exploration Pro-Am on Wednesday, October 25, 2017, at the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson in Jackson, Miss. Chris Todd, For The Clarion-Ledger

Davis Love III putts on the 5th green during the Allen Exploration Pro-Am on Wednesday, October 25, 2017, at the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson in Jackson, Miss. Chris Todd, For The Clarion-Ledger

Kevin Streelman follows through on his iron shot on the 5th fairway during the Allen Exploration Pro-Am on Wednesday, October 25, 2017, at the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson in Jackson, Miss. Chris Todd, For The Clarion-Ledger

Patton Kizzire prepares to putt on the 5th green during the Allen Exploration Pro-Am on Wednesday, October 25, 2017, at the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson in Jackson, Miss. Chris Todd, For The Clarion-Ledger

Davis Love III follows through on his iron shot from the 5th fairway during the Allen Exploration Pro-Am on Wednesday, October 25, 2017, at the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson in Jackson, Miss. Chris Todd, For The Clarion-Ledger

Members of two groups meet over the ropes during the Allen Exploration Pro-Am on Wednesday, October 25, 2017, at the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson in Jackson, Miss. Chris Todd, For The Clarion-Ledger

Patton Kizzire hits an iron from the 5th fairway during the Allen Exploration Pro-Am on Wednesday, October 25, 2017, at the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson in Jackson, Miss. Chris Todd, For The Clarion-Ledger

An amateur plays a fairway shot during the Allen Exploration Pro-Am on Wednesday, October 25, 2017, at the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson in Jackson, Miss. Chris Todd, For The Clarion-Ledger

An amateur watches his fairway shot during the Allen Exploration Pro-Am on Wednesday, October 25, 2017, at the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson in Jackson, Miss. Chris Todd, For The Clarion-Ledger

John McIntyre tees off on the 6th hole during the Allen Exploration Pro-Am on Wednesday, October 25, 2017, at the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson in Jackson, Miss. Chris Todd, For The Clarion-Ledger

John McIntyre tees off on the 6th hole during the Allen Exploration Pro-Am on Wednesday, October 25, 2017, at the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson in Jackson, Miss. Chris Todd, For The Clarion-Ledger

Retief Goosen watches his drive on the 6th hole during the Allen Exploration Pro-Am on Wednesday, October 25, 2017, at the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson in Jackson, Miss. Chris Todd, For The Clarion-Ledger

Wesley Walls putts on the 2nd green during the Allen Exploration Pro-Am on Wednesday, October 25, 2017, at the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson in Jackson, Miss. Chris Todd, For The Clarion-Ledger

Retief Goosen tees off on the 6th hole during the Allen Exploration Pro-Am on Wednesday, October 25, 2017, at the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson in Jackson, Miss. Chris Todd, For The Clarion-Ledger

Retief Goosen tees off on the 1st hole during the Allen Exploration Pro-Am on Wednesday, October 25, 2017, at the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson in Jackson, Miss. Chris Todd, For The Clarion-Ledger

Retief Goosen (right) talks with Wesley Walls (left) after their group teed off on the 1st hole during the Allen Exploration Pro-Am on Wednesday, October 25, 2017, at the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson in Jackson, Miss. Chris Todd, For The Clarion-Ledger